Boy, can I relate to your comments about borders and uptight guardians. My last time into the states I was reminded that I had been arrested for hitchiking in North Dakota on February 14th, 1973! The price we pay for being children of the 60's. (I should have been busted for being stupid enough to be standing beside the road in a bloody blizzard expecting someone to pick up a hippy)

I think we met on the last Big Trailie, and as someone noted, there will be another one next Labour Day.

Got all packed up this morning and loaded the bike. Said goodbye to the staff and some of the guests of the hostel, and went for a quick walk to the park to see if Occupy tree guy was still there. He was no longer living in the tree. Seems he got cold, came down and was immediately arrested.

Rode out to Antelope Ca and stopped to see inmate Padaca 14. Had a great visit, BS’d about bikes, cars, travel, bikes and then talked a bit more about bikes. He told me about a bike shop nearby, so I stopped and shopped for a jacket. After quite a bit of looking, (the place is HUGE) I found a good jacket I could afford. Tossed my old jacket in a dumpster ( I will miss you, old jacket) and headed off to San Francisco.

Got done what needed done in S F, and headed over to see inmate SF_motogrrl, who had graciously allowed me to have some papers couriered to her house. She has ridden the Baja extensively, and was a wealth of information on what to do, see and where to go while I am there. Thanks SF_Motogrrl.

There was more that I wanted to do while in San Francisco , but it was getting late and I wanted to make a mile. So away I went, in heavy traffic, heading South ( SF_Motogrrl also gave me good directions for getting the heck out of town)

So, South I went……… on the freeway………. in heavy traffic. And the traffic got heavier, and heavier, and I stopped, and I went, and I stopped. I spent as much time in the car pool lane as I could but there were times when the car pool lane was stopped and the other lanes were flying by. I was hoping to get as far as Hollister Ca, but as it got darker, the traffic just seemed to get slower, so I took a likely looking offramp and grabbed a room.

There was frost on my seat this morning, so I scraped it off, turned on the grip warmers and away I went. I took the hwy 25 turn off an rode into Hollister. Took a walk around the main street. It was still pretty early, and wasn’t too busy yet. A few people out and one old guy standing on the street singing at the top of his lungs. Took a few pictures and away I went.

What are ya rebelling against, Johnny?

Got back on 25, rode a few miles and stopped for fuel……and….. had my first road side repair. Tumblers on my locking gas cap had been getting sticky and it was hard to get the key in and out. Took the mechanism apart, WD40’d the heck out of it, got fuel and back on the road. Didn’t even have to pull my tools out, did it all with my handy dandy Leatherman.

Hwy 25 has some nice scenery. Rode some twisties going up into the hills

Then down into some ranching country.

its a great road, lots of twisties going up and down the mountains. Not very many people, and most of the people I saw were driving pickups. I saw town signs that actually said “population 18” gotta like it J

Turned left at hwy 198 and twisted and turned up out of the valley.

Turned onto the parkfield-coalinga road for some AWESOME riding. The road shows as “unknown-surface not indicated” on the map SF_motogrrl had given me. It was a lane and a half paved road for the first 10 miles. Up and down and around and back up and back down. I am talking tight, paved, 1st and 2nd gear corners, one after another after another.

Wound up and over a mountain, then turned to decent dirt road back down the other side, twisting and turning all the way down. It might have been a bit better on a more dirt oriented bike, but the buell handled it just fine.

Boy, can I relate to your comments about borders and uptight guardians. My last time into the states I was reminded that I had been arrested for hitchiking in North Dakota on February 14th, 1973! The price we pay for being children of the 60's. (I should have been busted for being stupid enough to be standing beside the road in a bloody blizzard expecting someone to pick up a hippy)

I think we met on the last Big Trailie, and as someone noted, there will be another one next Labour Day.

Ride safely, ride well, and make the time to take it all in.

I have friends that were arrested back then just for having long hair!!

Yeah, we probably did meet last summer at the big trailie. What were you on? I am a lot better at remembering bikes than names or faces :)

I didn't know they were having one this year or that it was going to be in September. Thanks for the info. I just signed up.......well..... sorta

Just discovered this! Great to see you on the road finally! We briefly met on BCBTR 6 near Farwell Canyon. I was riding a DR650. Afterwards I pm'd you to discuss Buells since I also own a red '09 Ulysses. Your trip is looking great, memories are being made. Glad you pulled it off!

Love this Brian.Found this yesterday and read thru it drooling over the pics.Thanks for all the pics,I know it takes time and energy to pull over and take them when sometimes you just want to keep going.Please keep up the pics for us riders who are unable to,or are too chicken to do what you are doing.
P.S. Thank U Mrs.Brian for being such a wonderful wife

Enjoying your RR. Your opening paragraph resonated with my own desires for a long unscripted ride to far destinations with no schedule. But so like your experience until now, there is always something that jumps in the way.....Congrats on finally commencing on your trip!

Enjoying your ride report and maybe run into you down south. I'm leaving Vancouver in 11 days and counting. It's going to be a little colder than when you left but I don't care because everyday I ride it's going to get a little warmer the closer I get to Mexico.

Woke up this morning with no real destination in mind, except to head South. Got out the maps for a look, and thought “I have been dicking around long enough. I should really be in Mexico”

Hopped onto the 101 and headed South. The freeway, while a good way to make some time, is booooring. Well, at least until you get close to LA. I wouldn’t say it’s real fun, what with the traffic and all, but it’s not boring. I only got messed up once. Ended up on an off ramp I hadn’t intended to be on, then didn’t see how to get back on the freeway. I needed gas anyhow, so I asked the gas station guy, and he gave me what I thought were pretty confusing directions. Turns out they were pretty simple and away I went.

Really, who wouldn’t get a bit confused?

Photo kindly donated by google images

I had wanted to avoid riding the freeway through downtown LA, but it appeared there was no other real choice.

I bet you could store lots of hay in those buildings

Again, thanks google

Took the San Diego bypass ( Ok try to remember, stay on hwy 5, then take the 805, then turn on hwy 15, then back onto 5……... Stay on hwy 5, then take the 805, then turn on hwy 15, then back onto 5……… Stay on hwy 5, then take the 805, then turn on hwy 15, then back onto 5.)

Found a room in Chula Vista, where I will get insurance tomorrow and then cross into Mexico.

Just discovered this! Great to see you on the road finally! We briefly met on BCBTR 6 near Farwell Canyon. I was riding a DR650. Afterwards I pm'd you to discuss Buells since I also own a red '09 Ulysses. Your trip is looking great, memories are being made. Glad you pulled it off!

Love this Brian.Found this yesterday and read thru it drooling over the pics.Thanks for all the pics,I know it takes time and energy to pull over and take them when sometimes you just want to keep going.Please keep up the pics for us riders who are unable to,or are too chicken to do what you are doing.

Thanks.
I am taking quite a few pictures for my personal journal, and just posting some of them here..

In a lot of areas a guy could pull over for pictures every 5 minutes. I am not doing that